My First Entry! My time here at New Staff Training!

Greetings from the St. John Catholic Newman Center in Champaign, Illinois!
The University of Illinois-Champain, Urbana was the first public univeristy in Illinois. The university is gorgeous with a huge grassy quad for students to hang out and a beautiful, old-world student union. Most of the buildings are done in the "academia" architecture...dark stone, gothic types...
There's also Green St. which is full of fun bars, yogurt shops, and clothes stores. It really is nice to be in a "university town" after going to school in the rolling hills of Virginia for 4 years.
New Staff Training has been absolutely packed with learning, meeting, and loving. We have taken classes on Salvation History, Apologetics, and Evangelization. I have met some of the most amazing and joyful people here and of course every day I am learning to love Christ more and walk in his footsteps.
New Staff Training is pretty structured and you quickly learn that "you time is not your own"--we have a one-hour holy hour in the morning followed by 3 one hour classes...then we either have another class or mission partner development work time. I used to spend my weekends doing all social and active things, but now with such full weeks I would rather just curl up and read or watch a movie. As far as extracurriculars here at FOCUS there most definitely is not a shortage. Kareoke, Murphy's Pub, Sand volleyball, movies, trips to chicago, pick-up soccer, and Cocomero yogurt runs just to name a few...
I am anticipating my arrival on the University of Kentucky's campus and everyday I pray for the students that I will encounter there. Please keep my mission in your prayers and know that I keep every one of my supporters, friends, and family in mine.